Hunterdon County Democrat Review
 Weingart still gives loyal listeners music they 'can't
hear'
by Curtis Leeds
Hunterdon County Democrat
September 29, 2005
John Weingart of Delaware Township likens his radio show on Princeton
University's WPRB-FM to a small country church. It may not always seem like a
bustling center of activity "but a small group must attend regularly to keep it
going, or it wouldn't be there." For about 30 years, his Music You Can't Hear On
The Radio program has drawn listeners seeking something different from
commercial radio fare.
The show is a quirky mix of folk, bluegrass, Grateful Dead, pop and comedy. It's
spiced with a dash of the unexpected and hasn't deviated much from its original
roots. "I always wanted to do this kind of show," he said, where older music
stands next to the new. Where long sets of music are joined by a theme -- even
if the connection isn't immediately obvious. And the element of unpredictability
is no accident -- it's what he enjoys when listening to radio, "so I'm surprised
by what I hear."
At home, CDs are scattered across the floor of his listening room. Yellow
Post-It notes clutter the jewel cases and form the foundation of his next show.
"When I listen to new music, I'm looking for how to play it on the radio," he
said. It may be a link to another song, or it may be a link to things happening
in the news.
"I always loved playing songs about politics," he said. So Pete Seeger, Tom
Paxton and Tom Lehrer regularly grace the show. He finds it more difficult
finding new artists who are political. Political music today tends to be
"strident and too exclusionary," he said. "They're talking to people who already
agree with them I want the show to be inclusionary.
"I like it when people tell me, 'I don't like folk music, but I really like your
show.' "
The show's origins can be traced to Weingart's childhood interest in Pete Seeger.
Growing up in New York City, his search for Seeger's music led him to free-form
stations including New York's WBAI ,WKCR and WFUV. Seeger's music led him to
Mississippi John Hurt to Dave Van Ronk to Elvis. The path of discovery led him
to discover the magic of radio, and his first experience with the medium as a
student on Brandies University's WBRS.
His experience in commercial radio was confined to WNTN in Newton Mass. in 1971.
"I did it for four days and they said, 'Thank you but no thank you,' " Weingart
said. The AM rocker "was free-form, but had rules I didn't understand."
Weingart has few rules at WPRB. Although it's licensed as a commercial station
and does play some commercials, it's doesn't rely on them for funding and
doesn't play many. Weingart selects all his music. He calls the freedom
"unbelievable I have three hours where I play exactly what I want." With so few
commercial interruptions, his music sets are a journey, not just a string of
songs played back-to-back.
He doesn't know how many listeners he has. But he knows from e-mail, phone calls
and cocktail party conversations that they exist. Every so often, he'll get a
call from a listener who's been a fan for 20 years but who never called before.
The show is a constant challenge. "I have kids listen to the show, and they
don't know who Pete Seeger is," he said. Yet it would be pedantic for Weingart
to try to educate every listener about every musician he plays. "I'll give the
date it was recorded," he said, and he hopes that gives the listener a clue. He
admits, "You never know if you did it right, or you only rarely know. So (I'm)
doing it on faith. I've been doing it on faith a long time."
The way he sees it, Weingart benefits as much as the listeners. He's not at all
interested in sports, so music and radio is a good substitute. He's still a fan
of the music he plays. "Mostly, I'm still pretty star-struck," he said. And for
Weingart, hearing new music is like hearing a good joke. "You want to tell
everyone," he said, and the show provides a platform. "Without it, I probably be
obnoxious," he said.
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